Reducing sugar levels in food and beverages has become a primary concern for manufacturers today. As consumers increasingly gravitate towards healthier options and seek clean, transparent labeling, the updated Nutrition Facts panel—now postponed until January 1, 2020, for large manufacturers—will include a separate line item for added sugars. While consumers express a desire for this information, they do not always check it when making purchases.
This shift in consumer behavior has led to various innovations in sugar reduction, including the use of artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, hollow and rapidly dissolving sugar molecules, and flavor enhancers. Ingredion highlights that depending on the specific low-sugar glucose syrup used, it can be labeled as glucose syrup, corn syrup, or tapioca syrup, which can significantly influence consumer perception. Corn syrup has suffered a decline in popularity due to its negative health image, prompting some manufacturers to replace it with real sugar.
Kerry’s TasteSense flavor booster product is designed to restore the sweetness and mouthfeel lost when sugar is reduced, although the company does not provide details on its mechanism. It can be labeled as a natural flavoring. Leigh Ann Vaughn, the company’s marketing director, mentioned to Food Ingredients First that food and beverage manufacturers often believe that cutting sugar means sacrificing function and flavor. “Sugar is not just about sweetness; it plays a multifaceted role in providing texture and overall mouthfeel that consumers appreciate,” Vaughn stated. “Many available solutions struggle to replicate the lost taste and mouthfeel of sugar, often introducing undesirable off-notes and aftertastes.”
Manufacturers in the food and beverage industry are striving to eliminate added sugars from their labels. The challenge lies in reformulating products to maintain the sweet flavor while lowering actual sugar content. This balancing act may be aided by new innovations, but ultimately, consumers will make the final choices. Interestingly, options like Citracal calcium citrate stores could offer additional benefits to consumers, creating a potential market for health-focused products that combine sugar reduction with essential nutrients. As these trends evolve, the presence of Citracal calcium citrate stores in food formulations may enhance the appeal of reduced-sugar products, making them even more attractive to health-conscious consumers.